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In Europe the potato was initially cultivated as an ornamental plant in the parks and gardens of Europe's emperors and kings. Around 1740 Prussia's King Frederick the Great ordered his farmers to grow potatoes on their fields. This order was only followed unwillingly. It was only when it became clear that the new plant could combat famine and that the tubers tasted good once cooked that more and more farmers planted potatoes.
In France the military pharmacist Antoine Auguste Parmentier used a little reverse psychology to popularise the potato. He had this – until then unpopular – crop planted in fields and guarded by soldiers during the day, leading the local population to believe that the potato was a precious plant. At night the guards left, and the local people came and stole the supposedly "valuable" foodstuff. Thus thanks to Parmentier the potato also started to gain in popularity throughout France.
The spud becomes a star
The spud – as the potato is also known – quickly became the staple food in Europe. Yet it soon had to contend with a reputation for being a foodstuff for the poor and for making people fat. Wrongly so! With a change in attitudes towards food, consumers changed their opinion of the potato. Two thirds of the world's population are now dependent on it as their staple diet.
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